Min Aung Hlaing Vows to Restore Myanmar’s Global Standing
Myanmar’s new president, Min Aung Hlaing, has acknowledged that his government faces significant challenges and said he aims to improve the country’s standing in the world, including restoring relations with the ASEAN regional bloc.
The former army chief, who led the 2021 coup, took the presidential oath of office and said democracy and peace would be among his government’s priorities. He also pledged to encourage foreign investment and support domestic business development as part of longer-term plans.
Hlaing was elected by a military-dominated parliament following elections that handed victory to pro-military parties and which critics have branded undemocratic. Since the coup, the country has been engulfed in civil war and subjected to international sanctions.
The new cabinet is largely composed of former junta members and military leaders. The president said he would consider ‘appropriate amnesties’ in the interests of reconciliation, without providing further details.
Relations with the ASEAN bloc have deteriorated after the junta was excluded from high-level meetings. Hlaing has now declared his intention to restore ties. Thousands of opponents of the regime remain in prison, including pro-democracy activist and politician Aung San Suu Kyi.